infodumping n.
the practice of using infodump n. in literature
SF Criticism
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1995 Interzone July 57/3
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Pulp sf writers in general had not yet contrived to standardize a vocabulary of images and a narrative method which would permit the construction of imaginary worlds without recourse to massively cumbersome info-dumping.
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1996 Interzone May 59/1
Previous authors attempting to broaden out their vision of the future by ladling dollops of the Encyclopedia Galactica into their work—usually as chapter introductions—had generally been thought guilty of the bad practice of ‘info-dumping’.
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1999 Interzone July 62/3
Apart from Alex’s occasional commentary in A Clockwork Orange, the aforementioned plays rely entirely on dialogue for infodumping and scene description—which, to the scriptwriters' credit, is never contrived or obtrusive.
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2003
In Mockeymen (Golden Gryphon, $26.95), Ian Watson raises infodumping to the level of art.
Science Fiction in N.Y. Times Bk. Rev. 9 Nov. 26/1
Research requirements
antedating 1999
Earliest cite
in the New York Times Book Review
Research History
Jeff Prucher submitted a 2003 cite from the NYT book review.We would like citations of any date from other authors.
Last modified 2021-11-06 14:09:29
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